Shooting vest



Oct. 1, 1963 R. E. ALLEN SHOOTING VEST Filed March 27. 1961 United States Patent 3,1as,241 SHGOTING VEST Robert E. Allen, PO. Box 477, Des Moines, Iowa Filed Mar. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 93,598 1 Claim. (Cl. 2--94) This invention relates to shooting garments, and in particular to garments of such type adapted to permit free movement of the arms and shoulders by a user thereof.

Various types of shooting garments have heretofore been suggested. One of the more satisfactory forms of prior garments is presented and described in my prior Patent No. 2,948,898 issued August 16, 1960. This garment comprises a coat-type structure, and includes an auxiliary belt carried Within the garment and adapted to be fixed around the waist of a wearer to support the weight of items carried in pockets of the garment disposed below the waist. While this prior form of garment, as suggested, has proved to be very satisfactory, I have now found that certain improvements can be made on the prior structure, and that these improvements are particularly suitable when used in combination with a vest-type garment, as opposed to a coat-type garment.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a shooting vest which permits free movement of the arms and shoulders of a user, and which can be conveniently placed over any type of coat which the user may wish to wear for primary protection from the elernents. It is, of course, to be understood that the garment of the present invention can be worn by the user without a coat, but that oneof the principal features of the invention is that'it allows the user to wear the vest regardless of the type of coat he may desire to use.

A still further primary object of-the present invention is to provide such a vest incorporating an auxiliary belt fixed to flap pocket panels thereof, but extending freely across the rear'ofthe vest and providing for support of the weight of the items carried in the front pocket without distributing such weight to the shoulder portions of the garment. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a shooting vest and additionally incorporating means to secure the vest tightly about the chest of a wearer, so as to achieve auxiliary support in combination with that provided by the auxiliary belt.

Still further, yet more specific objects of the present invention are: (a) to provide a vest incorporating an auxiliary weight supporting belt as prescribed, which belt carriers cooperating magnetic securing elements at the opposite free ends thereof to secure the belt about the waist of a wearer; (b) to provide a shooting garment conforming with the preceding objects, which garment is formed from a plurality of panels stitched together along meeting edges so as to form a vest with a front opening and side openings; (0) to provide such a vest wherein the auxiliary supporting belt is adjustable; (d) to provide a vest as prescribed in sub-paragraph (0) wherein adjustable side belts are incorporated to extend around the sides of the chest of a user across the side openings in the vest, and front coupling elements are provided to coact with the side belts to secure the garment tightly about the chest of a user; (e) to provide such a vest wherein the front panels carry the coupling elements coacting with the side belts and wherein such coupling elements, preferably formed from fabric, have buttons and buttonholes thereon, respectively, and extend across the front opening of the vest; and (f) to provide such a vest which can be easily and somewhat inexpensively manufactured, yet which is durable in use.

The invention lies in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the various components as set forth in more detail in the following description of the illustrative and preferred embodiments of the inventionpresented in the annexed drawings. In such drawings,

FIGURE "1 is a front elevational viewshowing a shooting vest constructed in accordance with the present invention; I

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view of the vest shown in FIGURE '1;

FIGUREB is also an elevational view of the vest shown in FIGURE 1, :however FIGURE 3 presents the vest with thevarious portions thereof opened so as to better present details of construction; and a FIGURE 4 is a'fragmental detailed view of the preferred form of coupling elements attached to the free end of the auxiliary belt adapted to extend around the waist of the wearer.

In the annexed drawing, the numeral 2 generally designates a vest constructed in accordance with the present invention. By reference to FIGURE 1, it will be noted that this vest comprises a generally rectangular rear panel 4 adapted to extend from the shoulders of .a wear to below the waist, agpair of elongated generally rectangular front panels 6 and 8, and a pair, of pocket panels 10 and 12. The front'panels 6 and 8 are joined to the rear panel along the edge thereof adapted to be disposed adjacent the shoulder of the user. More specifically, double lines of stitching 14 and 16 serve in accordance with the preferred embodiment ofthe invention to-couple the top-ends of panels 6 and 8 to the end of the rear panel 4 which terminates along the shoulder line of the user. The front panels 6 and 8 are spaced apart to provide a front openingin the vest which extends from the neck of the wearer down across the chest and to the waist. As shown in FIGURE 3,the front panels 6 and 8 are spaced from the rear'panel 4 to provide side openings 5 and 7 extending from the shoulder to the waist of a wearer.

As also shown in FIGURE 3, the pocket panels 10 and 12 are joined partially along the side edges 9 and 11 thereof respectivelyto the rear panel 4, and are joined along their top edges '13 and 15, respectively, to the adjacent or bottom edges of the front panels 6 and 8. The preferred construction of the invention utilizes the flaptype structure between the pocket panels and the rear panel as shown in 'FIGURE 3, and also provides for making the rear panel terminate at a lower point than the pocket panels (FIGURE 2). However, while these details of construction are preferred, it will be understood that they can be modified without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Now, if reference is again made to FIGURE 3, it will be seen that the improved inner or auxiliary belt which is incorporated in the garment of the present invention is generally designated by the numeral 20. This belt, preferably made of fabric, is adapted to pass about the waist of a wearer to support the Weight of items carried in the pockets 22 or 24- which are stitched in a suitable manner to the pocket panels 10 and 12. The belt 20 is permanently joined, as by stitching, to the front panels 6 and 8 and adjacent pocket panels 10 and 12, respectively, but passes freely across the rear panel 4. Carried at the free ends 26 and 28 of the belt 20 are cooperating coupling elements 39 and 32. Preferably the coupling element 32 as shown in FIGURE 4, comprises a base member 36 having a magnet 38 fixed thereto. Also, preferably, the coupling element 30 comprises a fiat member 40 having a recess or opening 42 therein adapting the member 40 to pass in surrounding engagement with the magnet 38. The member 40 is formed of a magnetic material and is thereby maintained detac-hably coupled with the coupling element 32 by virtue of the magnet 38 carried thereby.

In addition to incorporating the features referred to hereinabove, the vest provided by the present invention also, as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, includes adjustable straps 50 and 52 which extend between the adjacent outside edges of the front panels 6 and 8 and the rear panel 4. These belts are adjustable through so-called adjustment loops '54 and 56 which may be of any wellknown type. Although not specifically described, it will be noted by reference to FIGURE 3 that the auxiliary waist belt 20 carries an adjustable coupling-21 therein, also of any well-known type. This coupling is disposed in the portion of the belt extending freely across the rear panel 4 of the vest.

The adjustable belts 50 and 52 which extend across the side openings in the vest -2 provided by the invention are disposed in the area of a wearers chest. In this same area, and preferably inhorizontal alignment with the belts 50 and '52, there are provided a pair of coupling elements -ortabs 60 and 62. The tab 62 projects laterally of the inside edge of the panel 6, and is attached thereto, as shown. This element 62 carries buttons 64 thereon which cooperate with a buttonhole 66 provided in'the coupling element or tab 60 whichis fixed to, and projects laterally of the inside edge of the panel 8. The tabs 60 and 62 coact with the belts 50 and 52 to secure the vest tightly about the chest of a wearer, thereby providing additional support for items carried in pockets 22 and 24. 7

As will be noted from the drawings, all of the panels are provided with hat hems along the edges thereof, and all joining of the panels is achieved by suitable double row stitching aside, of course, from the coupling provided by the magnetic buckle elements and the cooperating tabs extending across the chest opening of the garment.

While I have described the preferred form of garment which constitutes the present invention, it will be understood that certain embodiments hereof may be applied to shooting garments which are not per se vests, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. It should also be understood that various modifications, other than those specifically suggested, can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly,

What is claimed is:

A shooting vest permitting free movement of the arms and shoulders of a user and comprising a generally rectangular rear vest panel adapted to extend from the shoulders to below the waist of a user, a pair of elongated rectangular front panels joined to said rear panel along the edge thereof adapted to be disposed adjacent the shoulder of a user, said front panels being spaced apart to provide a front opening in said vest extending from the neck of a wearer down across the chest and to the waist, and side openings extending from the shoulder to the waist, a pair of pocket panels joined entirely along their top edge to respective adjacent edges of said front panel, each of said pocket panels being joined from said top edge and substantially half way along one side edge to the adjacent side edge of said rear panel whereby the lower portions of said pocket panels and said rear panel provide flaps at the base of said vest, a belt adapted to pass about the waist of a user, said belt being joined permanently to said front and pocket panels along the lines of juncture therebetween and extending freely across said rear panel, said belt carrying cooperating coupling members at opposite ends thereof, said cooperating buckle members comprising respectively a permanent magnet coupling and a magnetic coupling, said permanent mag netic coupling comprising a base member having a magnet attached thereto, and said magnetic coupling comprising a base member having a portion thereof adapted to surroundingly engage the periphery of said magnet, said shooting vest further including a pair of adjustable straps, extending between said rear panel and adjacent the respective edges of said front panels, said pocket panels terminating vertically above said rear panel, and cooperating detachable t-ab coupling elements extending from said front panels across said front openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,341,506 Horn May 25, 1920 2,389,298 Ellis Nov. 20, 1945 2,397,931 Ellis Apr. 9, 1946 2,716,756 Gainsburgh Sept. 6, 1955 2,948,898 Allen Aug. 16, 1960 2,948,899 Allen Aug. 16, 1960 

